Jewelry – Body member encircling ornament
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-13
2001-05-22
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3628)
Jewelry
Body member encircling ornament
C063S003100, C063S900000, C362S104000, C429S097000, C439S805000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06233971
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an illuminated jewelry piece and, in particular, to one which the user may, by adjusting the position of a clasp, turn the illumination on and off.
2. Background Discussion
Illuminated jewelry pieces are well known and the inventor has described such an illuminated jewelry piece in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,433. As disclosed on this patent, the jewelry piece is illuminated intermittently. It would be desirable to provide an inexpensive, lightweight jewelry piece that allows the wearer to connect and disconnect the jewelry piece, and by a simple movement or repositioning of a clasp, cause the piece to be illuminated or have the illumination discontinued. This is especially desirable when the jewelry piece is a pendant or necklace.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the objective of this invention to provide a light weight, illuminated jewelry piece which, by adjusting a clasp, turns the illumination on and off.
The jewelry piece of this invention includes an ornamental element having pair connector members extending outward therefrom. These connector members are wrapped around a part of the body of a user, for example, the user's neck, wrist, ankle, etc. Each connector member has a free end, and these ends are attached and detached by a clasp member. One free end has a battery case connected to it and the other free end attaches to the battery case by means of either a mechanical or magnetic clasp member. An electrical circuit, including the connector members which are conductive, or include conductive members such as wires, is energized by a battery in the battery case to provide illumination for the ornamental element. The clasp member is manually moveable between a first position where the free ends are connected together and the electrical circuit is energized and a second position where the free ends are connected and the electrical circuit is de-energized. The clasp member may be disconnected to separate the free ends allowing the jewelry piece to be detached from the body of the user.
This invention has several features, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of this invention as expressed by the claims which follow, its more prominent features will now be discussed briefly. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section entitled, “DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS,” one will understand how the features of this invention provide its benefits, which include, but are not limited to, an inexpensive to manufacture jewelry piece which is easy to use and manufacture, and provides a way for the ornamental element to be illuminate or not while the jewelry piece is being worn. In one embodiment, the ornamental element is illuminated or the illumination discontinued without detaching the jewelry piece by simply rotating the clasp member. In another embodiment, the ornamental element is illuminated with the clasp member closed and in one position. The illumination of the ornamental element is discontinued by opening the clasp member and repositioning it in another closed position that does not energize the electrical circuit.
The first feature of the jewelry piece of this invention is that it includes a light transparent, ornamental element positioned near a light source, such as a light emitting diode having a pair of electrodes. The light source is connected in the electrical circuit which is powered by a battery (an assembly of a number of batteries is considered a single battery since the assembly acts as one unit), having first and second terminals, one positive the other negative as is conventional. The battery is retained in the case which has an opening therein providing access to the first terminal of the battery. Preferably, the battery case is adapted to removable hold the battery, and this battery case has a threaded opening therein. Preferably, the light source is seated in an opaque housing. This housing has only a single light transmitting window which allows light from the light source to be transmitted outward.
The second feature is that the connector members comprise a pair of flexible, conductive wires for electrically connecting the light source to the battery in the case. A first conductive wire has one end connected to the second terminal of the battery and another end connected to the light source, and a second conductive wire has one end connected to the light source and another end having a unique, mechanical clasp thereon enabling the illumination to be turned on and off without disconnecting the mechanical clasp.
The third feature of this invention is the mechanical clasp. When partially inserted into the opening in the case, the clasp completes a loop around, for example, the neck of the wearer but does not contact the first terminal of the battery, preventing the light source from being energized. When completely inserted into the opening, the clasp makes contact with the first terminal of the battery to energize the light source. The second wire terminates in a conductive pin which passes through a passageway in the clasp, so that the clasp may be manually rotated relative to the pin and second wire. The clasp has a body with a threaded open end, a passageway extending through the body between the threaded end and another end. It is this threaded, open end of the clasp which is adapted to be received in the threaded opening in the battery case. When the clasp is so threaded into this threaded opening, the pin makes contact with the battery to complete a circuit and energize the light source.
The fourth feature is a magnetic clasp which may be used in place of the mechanical clasp. The magnetic clasp includes one magnetic element on the case which makes electrical contact with a battery in the case. Preferably, this one magnetic element has a spring biased contact member which insures engagement with the battery in the case. Another magnetic element is attached to a free end of one of the connector members. When the two magnetic elements engage when the user brings them into contact with each other, the electrical circuit is completed to illuminate the ornamental element.
The fifth feature is that the battery case has a second magnetic element attach to it which is electrically isolated from a battery placed in the case. This enables the magnetic clasp to be connected to this second magnetic element without energizing the electrical circuit.
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patent: 5477433 (1995-12-01), Ohlund
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patent: 5653530 (1997-08-01), Pittman
patent: 5722260 (1998-03-01), Mangano
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patent: 5876109 (1999-03-01), Scalco
patent: 6122933 (2000-09-01), Ohlund
Calypso Worldwide Marketing, Inc.
Chop Andrea
Holland & Knight LLP
Knight Anthony
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